Bucket and bucket elevator and dredge



April 23, 1929. F. H. COTHAY BUCKET AND BUCKET ELEVATOR AND DREDGE Fi-ld June 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 23, 1929.

F. H. COTHAY 1,710,473

BUCKET AND BUCKET ELEVATOR AND DREDGE I Filed June 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 17 -19 x 17 1 07 '11 I Z6 16 l 5g I a; Z8

INVENTOR Patented Apr. 23,1929.

UNITED stares. m ur OFFICE.

FRANK nnRNAMAn: CO'IHAY, 01*, LON ON, nNeI A-igrn, nssrenon Drona-HALF "roe nor? TIN LIMITED. OF nonnonnnennnn, A nnirzsncolvrranY.

BUCKET AND BUCKET ELEVATOR ANDDREDGE;

Application filed JuneS, 13 27, SerialNo. 197,438,anr1 in: Great Britain September 29, 1926.

This invention comprisesimprovements in or relating to bucketsland bucket elevators and dredgcs.

It is well known that a bucket which 1s filled with stiff plastic material which is impervious to 1.12.,;Sl10l1 as wet clay or like sticky plastic material cannot be easilyemptied. For example, in the use of bucket elevators for dredging operations where these have to be employed on clayey materiahthe buckets of the elevator frequently become filled with clay which refuses to fall I out of the buckets when these reach the discharging point of theelevator, with;the consequence that as: soon as a substantial proportion of the buckets are thus choked v the elevator has to be stopped, and all the-'buck successful the water-'ets'tend to merely:

cut holes in the clay-and not to remove the clay from. the bucket'bodily in the limited time available during the passage of each bucket. In consequence the usual practice,

when digging clay is to fill the bucket partially only. It is an object ot the invention to avoid this difficulty and to enable the buckets to be filled full and readily discharged.

According to the present invention a method of removing materialsof the kind described from buckets, consists inintroduc ing'water under pressure to the lIIlLOllOlnOf the bottom of the bucket behind or underneath the material to be removed.

The invention comprises the provision of a passage for admission of water which ex tends down the side of thebucketand: opens into its. interior; near the bottom, for the j purpose of admitting waterto: the interior chain of buckets, channelsvin'the buckets whichare providedwith mouths-outside the buckets, and which extend from the mouths to the interior of the bucketsnear the bottoms thereof, and-a water-jet situated atv the point of dischargeot the chain'for directing water into the buckets.v When the buckets arriveat the pointof discharge they are inverted and the water entering through the channels and loosening the clay and acting by pressure I behind it, help to force it out of the bucket. Means heren atter described may be pro-- 1 vided *lfor moving the water-jetduring-the passage of each. bucket past the jet so as to lengthen the period of impingement of the jetupen the mouths of the channels.

The acc nipjanying drawings illustratevarious examples otconstructionsof bucket elevator in accordance with the invention.v

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper tumbler and associated parts of a bucket elevator or dredge to which one construction in accordance with the invention has been applied.

Figure 2 is a front elevationi'partly in Figure 3' is section throughone otithe buckets on'the line *3, 3' ofFigure 2;

section .otjthe same constructed in accordance with the present invention arcotthe usual construction, the

buckets being mounted upon an, endless chain ingover' the tumbler they arerinverted and Thegeneral parts of an elevator or dredge discharged of the material which theycontain into a chute in the usual way.

Reiterrin to Fi 'ures 1 and 2 lO re re- :3 z: P .sents the upper tumbler PX'OVlClGCl with flanges 11 for retaining the bucket chain upon it. The links 12 of the-bucket. chain are shown as tormed'mtegral with the buckets 18. Each bucket 1.3,;viewed in plan; that is to say, lookingv into-the bucket as'sh'own in Figure 2, is of a; more'or less oval contour, provided on the outerside withia cutting lip 14-. On the side: next to the chain it is -provided with two water channels 15, cast! or otherwise formed in the thickness of the bucket wall. Each channel extends from an-epen mouth 16 close-to one side of the chain down the side of the bucket to. the

bottom thereof. The channels converge toan angle to one another and are situated in a depression 18 in the bottom of the bucket close to the edge 19 of the depression so that clay entering the bucket, at the moment of its excavation, from the out ting lip 11- tends to separate from the bucket wall at the edge 19 of the depression and to leave a cavity opposite the ports 17, to which water may later on be admitted when the,

time comes for the bucket to be discharged.

The ports 17 are crossed at intervals by bars 20 which lie parallel to the direction of movement of incoming clay and further tend to keep the ports clear. The width of the ports and the spaces between the bars 20 and indeed the whole of the channel 1.5, are made slightly greater in dimensions than the mouth 16 ot the channel so that in the event of a stone or other obstruction entering the mouth of the channel it may not wedge in the channel.

The nozzles 21 are located adjacent to the upper tumbler 10 of the dredger opposite the point of discharge of the buckets 13 and in line with the mouths 16 of the waterchannels. These nozzles project from the side of a large transverse water-pipe 22 which is reduced at its ends and passes through bearings 23. A water-supply is led into thevpipe 22 from a pipe 24 through a union 25 the connection being such as to permit a suitable arc of movement in the bearings 23 oi the pipe 22. The pipe 22 is made of suflicient diameter to reduce eddies in the water stream passing through it so that the water-jets which issue from the nozzles 21 may be free of any tendency to break into spray.-- Any suitable construction of nozzle may be used which ensures a close jet of water.

Upon the upper tumbler 10 there is mounted a cam 26 having a number of cam projections 27 which correspond with the number of sides of the upper tumbler. lever 28 projects from the pipe 22 and carries a cam roller 29 for engaging the cams 27. The cam roller 29 is kept in engagement with the cams by the action of a counterweight 80 upon a balance-arm 31 projecting from the pipe 22.

The relative proportions of the parts and the shape of the cams 27 are so arranged that the nozzles 21 are moved during the passage of each bucket past the point 031 discharge so as to maintain the jets impinging upon the months 16 (as indicated in chain lines at A, Figure 1) over as long a period possible of the passage o'fthe buckets past the jets. As soon as a bucket has fully passed the point of discharge the roller 29 becomes disengaged from the tip 01 the cam 27 and the nozzle is swung back by the counterweight 30 to a position in in which the roller 29 lies against the base of the next cam 27, which positions the nozcurate centering owing to the weight and size of the parts, wear on the flanges 11, the necessity for providing suitable working clearances and the possibility of the dredge working at a list which may cause the buckets to keep to one side of the tumbler. It is important, however, that the ets from the nozzles 21 should always be accurately cent-cred upon the mouths 16 ofthe channels in the buckets. To this end, a centering device is provided; which comprises a feeler in engagement with the bucket chain and operative connections between the ieeler andthe jets 21. In the construction illustrated the feeler takes theform of a flanged idler roller 32in engagement with the underside of the bucket chain close behind the upper tumbler. I The flanges 33, 34. ot' the idler roller are made to fit the sides of the bucket chain closely and to this end the flange 341- is made adjustable longitudinally upon the body of the roller 32 by a screwthread and locking-nut 35,v or by other means. The idler roller is supported in bearings, not shown, by a spindle 36 (Figure 2). The end'ot thespindle 36 is provided with a grooved collar 37 which receives shoes 38 pivoted on a yoke 39 (Figure 1) of a lever-arm 40. The lever-arm 10 is mounted on a shaft 41 which extends at right-angles to the spindle 36 toward the nozzles 21; At the other end of the shaft 41 it carries a second lever 41-2 having'a'yoke 413 which carries shoes 44 for engagement with a grooved collar 15 on the end of the pivoted pipe 22' (see Figure 2).. A suitable amount of end play is allowed 'for the pipe 22 in the bearings 23 and thus any lateral movement of the chain is transmitted from the feelerroller 32 through the shaft 41 to' the nozzles21 and the water-jets are kept properly centred.

It is contemplated that a high pressure water-jet should be used, pressure being of the order of 25 pounds or more per square inch, and that the pressure caused by the introduction of this high pressure water to the underside of the clay in the bucket will be suflicient todisloolge the same and to prevent any tendency to retain suction in the bucket.

While the invention has been described with reference to a bucket'dredgeit will-be evident that the application of the invention the clay matter by is not limited to such dredges but that it may be employed for freeing any buckets which are liable to become clogged from any materials which they may contain. For example, the skips of mechanical shovels, skips mounted upon a crane, or smaller buckets, in whatever connection employed, may all be constructed with water channels and emptied in accordance with the presentinvention.

1. A bucket for the reception of materials of the kind described having a passage for admission of water which extends down the side of the bucket and opens into its interior near the bottom for the purpose described, the opening of the passage at the bottom of the bucket being such as to prevent the passage becoming filled with material from the bucket.

2. In a bucket elevator or dredge, the combination of a chain of buckets, channels in the buckets which are provided with mouths outside the buckets and which channels extend from the mouths to the interior of the bucket near the bottom thereof, and a nozzle for a water-jet situated at the approach to the point of discharge of'the buckets for directing water into the mouths of the channels for the purpose described.

3. A bucket elevator or dredge as claimed in claim 2 wherein means are provided so to move the nozzle during the passage 01": each bucket past the point of discharge as to lengthen the periods of impingement the jet upon the mouths of the channels.

4-. A bucket elevator or dredge as claimed in claim 2 wherein-the mouths of the channels face forwardly in the direction of movement of the buckets, and the axis of the nozzle lies in the plane of movement of the mouths of the channels to which it directs the water-jet and outside the bucket path.

5. In a bucket elevator or dredge, the. combination of a chain of buckets, channelsin the buckets which are provided with mouths outside the buckets which mouths face forwardly in the direction of movement of the buckets, the channels extending from the mouths to the interior of the buckets near the bottom thereof, a nozzle for a water-jet the axis of which lies in the plane of movement of the mouths of the channels to which it direct the water-jet from outside the bucket path, and means to move the nozzle in the said plane duringthe passage of each bucket past the point of discharge so as to lengthen'the periods of impingement of the jet upon the mouths of the channels.

6. A bucket elevator or dredge as claimed inclaim 2 wherein means are provided so to move the nozzle during the passage of each bucket past the point of discharge'as to lengthen the periods of impingement of the jet upon the-mouths of the'channels, said means comprising apivotal mounting for the nozzle, an operating lever thereon and a cam operatively connected to the bucket chain for actuating the lever. g

7. In a bucketelevator or dredge, the combination of a chain of buckets, channels in the buckets which are provided with mouths outside the buckets which mouthsiface :lorwardly in the direction of movement of the buckets, the channels extending from the mouths-to the interior or" the buckets near' ment of the mouths of the channels to which 3 it directs the water-jet from outside the bucket path, means to movethe nozzle in the said plane during the passage of each bucket.

- past the point of discharge so as to lengthen v the periods 01": impingement'of the jet upon the mouths of the channels said means com anoperating lever thereon. and a cam operatively connectedeto the bucket chain for actuating the lever.

8. A bucket elevator or dredge as claimed in claim 2wherein means are provided for causing the water-jets to move laterally so as to follow any lateral movements of the bucket chain and maintain the supply of water to the channels.

9. A bucket elevator or dredge as claimed in 5 wherein means are provided formoving the jets laterally which comprise a feeler in engagement with the bucket chain and operative connections between the feeler and the nozzle of the water-jet.

In testimony whereof ailix my signature.

FRANKHERNAMAN COTHAY.

prising a pivotal mounting for the nozzle, 

